


special

by sonlali



Series: Cuddling Ficlets [15]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, In Public, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25715173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonlali/pseuds/sonlali
Summary: david and patrick have their seventh date and patrick wants it to be special.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Cuddling Ficlets [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614172
Comments: 42
Kudos: 190





	special

**Author's Note:**

  * For [houdini74](https://archiveofourown.org/users/houdini74/gifts).



> prompt fill for houdini from [this cuddling prompt list.](https://language-of-love.tumblr.com/post/190450918007/cuddling-prompts-send-me-a-and-ill-write-a) thanks for the prompt!
> 
> 11\. In public
> 
> today is my one year ficiversary, so to celebrate, here's some cuddles! hope you enjoy! <3

Their seventh date is at Café Tropical. Patrick had been planning on driving to a new pizza place in Elm Ridge because David had sounded so excited when he first heard about it and Patrick always wants to make David happy. Since their first date, he has been making an effort to plan dates outside of Schitt’s Creek. Patrick wants their dates to feel special and dinner at the same café David visits nearly every day just doesn’t feel good enough. So far, Patrick has taken David to a few different restaurants in Elmdale and a drive-in movie theatre in Elm Valley. David, for his part, has planned a casual date to a bar in Elm Glen and a really romantic dinner in Elmdale. 

Each of their dates has been filled with laughter and flirting, feet knocking beneath tables and hands brushing tentatively. Everything has been going well, and yet there’s still a not-insignificant part of Patrick that worries David will lose interest in him. David has had so many incredible experiences and met so many people in his life, and Patrick sometimes fears that he won’t be able to measure up. Planning new dates is becoming increasingly more challenging, however, since even when including the surrounding Elms, there just isn’t that much to do around Schitt’s Creek.

Patrick is especially looking forward to tonight’s date because David has been out on vendor visits since noon, and as embarrassing as it is to admit even to himself, Patrick misses having David around the store with him even for a few hours. Around 4:00, Patrick can no longer resist sending David a text, just to see how he’s doing.

**Patrick:** _How’s it going?_

**David:** _good. about to leave heather’s farm now. she agreed to up her contract another 6 months_

**Patrick:** _That’s great!_

**David:** _yeah but i got held up behind a tractor heading to elm valley. now i’m behind schedule so probably won’t make it back home until close to 6_

Patrick laughs to himself imagining David’s outrage at a slow-moving tractor blocking his way. He’s about to respond when he sees the three dots appear indicating that David is typing again.

**David:** _i’m really tired of being in the car all day. can we just grab dinner at the cafe tonight?_

Patrick instantly feels panicked about the change in plans. He hates the idea of David having a long, exhausting day followed by a boring date at the café. He hesitates, staring at his phone. His hesitation must be obvious because David texts again. 

**David:** _is that ok?_

Patrick can perfectly imagine the anxious expression on David’s face, so he decides to swallow his own worries.

**Patrick:** _Sure, no problem!_

**David:** _k need to get back on the road now. see you tonight_

**Patrick:** _Planning our next date. How does a tractor ride sound?_

**David:** 🖕 

Patrick spends the remainder of the afternoon fretting about the date. On the one hand, it had been David’s suggestion to eat at the café, so he must be okay with having a date there. It’s where they had their first date, and that had obviously ended well. A sudden jolt of panic shoots through Patrick. _Surely Stevie won’t show up tonight, will she?_ He paces the store trying to decide if he should text Stevie. Just as he finally convinces himself that he’s completely overreacting, Patrick halts in his tracks at the thought that David’s entire family might crash their date.

That evening, when Patrick slides into a booth at the café — the same one where they had their first date, he realizes — he feels equal parts nervous and annoyed with himself for his needless anxiety. David is running late and as Patrick surreptitiously wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans for the third time, he is reminded again of their first date. 

He hears the door to the café open and Patrick can’t help the wide smile that spreads across his face when he sees David striding through the door, looking slightly harried but as gorgeous as ever. David’s mouth twists to the side in the way Patrick knows means he’s trying not to smile, and Patrick feels the butterflies that have been so active in his stomach lately begin to flutter again. 

“Hey,” David says when he reaches the booth, bending to press a kiss to Patrick’s cheek in greeting. “Sorry I’m late. I had to wait on a fucking cow to cross the road! Scoot over.”

Patrick furrows his brow. “What– why?”

“So I can sit down, Patrick.” David rolls his eyes, and when Patrick slides over in the booth, David drops down beside him, sitting close enough that their thighs are pressed together. “Mm, I missed you today. How was your afternoon?”

Patrick gawks at David, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. The back of David’s neck flushes and a look of uncertainty crosses his face. 

“I can– I’ll just—”

“No!” Patrick grabs David’s hand and tugs him closer, preventing him from moving. “No, sorry, I was just– I– um, I missed you too, David.”

David smiles sheepishly and the butterflies crash out of Patrick’s stomach to invade his entire body, leaving him slightly breathless and giddy, his skin warm and tingly. David relaxes, his head dropping to Patrick’s shoulder as he slides lower in his seat and hooks an ankle over one of Patrick’s.

The moment is interrupted when Twyla approaches their table. “Hey guys! Are you ready to order or are you still waiting for someone?” She glances at the empty side of their booth. 

“No, just us,” Patrick says, and the thought of worrying about this date suddenly feels so ridiculous now. 

After they order their food, Patrick wraps an arm around David’s shoulders, smiling into a kiss he buries in David’s hair. David hums and grabs Patrick’s hand, idly playing with his fingers. They swap stories from their afternoons, David talking about new products for the store and ranting about the lack of courtesy amongst tractor drivers and Patrick delighting in David’s horror at Roland stopping buy to purchase four more tubs of foot cream.

They fall into a peaceful silence, and Patrick gets lost in thought. He feels slightly overwhelmed by how happy he is, how lucky he feels that he gets to sit here with this man who he is quickly falling for and nobody even cares. He can wrap his arm around David and have David cuddle into his side right here in front of half the town with no one giving them a second glance. He’s never felt so comfortable with another person or so comfortable in his own skin.

“You know, not every date has to be a big deal, Patrick.” David’s voice breaks the silence, startling Patrick from his thoughts.

“What– uh, what do you mean, David?” Patrick stumbles over the words, his mouth suddenly dry.

“I know you’ve been worrying.” David speaks slowly and carefully, his voice soft. “Don’t get me wrong — I’ve loved all of our dates, and I relish the opportunity to eat something that doesn’t have freezer burn or highly unexpected ingredients, but you don’t always have to plan something new and exciting. I like, um—”

David clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Patrick squeezes David’s shoulders gently, trying to provide some reassurance. He knows that David struggles to speak so openly about his feelings, and he feels honored that David is trusting him in this moment.

“I really like just spending time with you,” David blurts, the words all running together. He immediately buries his face in Patrick’s chest, and Patrick can’t resist teasing.

“I’m sorry, didn’t quite catch that, David. Could you maybe speak a little more slowly and clearly?”

“Oh, fuck you!” David shoves Patrick, the smile twitching at his lips belying his true feelings.

“I really like spending time with you too, David. I guess I’ve just been overthinking our dates. I really want… I just want our dates to be special, I guess.”

“They always feel special to me,” David mumbles.

His voice is so soft that Patrick can barely hear him over the drone of voices and clinking dishes throughout the café, and Patrick’s heart could burst with affection.

“David,” Patrick breathes. He brings a hand to David’s jaw, stroking his thumb over the stubble and gently encouraging David to meet his gaze. “Any time spent with you is special in my book.”

Patrick leans in to kiss David, a soft brush of lips that quickly grows deeper. Patrick loses himself in David, desperately hoping to somehow communicate the giddy, overwhelmed feeling in his chest.

When they separate, David leans his forehead against Patrick’s, grinning so broadly his eyes crinkle, and Patrick thinks that maybe, just maybe, David feels the same way.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr [@landofsonlali](https://landofsonlali.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
